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Pitiful creatures... your masters already tainted me. Come to my embrace.

*She didnt fear contamination by the black ooze they seemed to bleed, or dissolve into. Indeed, when one got too close, she grabbed the lashing limb, heedless of the accompanying scalpel and pulled the creature into herself, onto the boney edges of the borrowed armour, which now clung to her form more appropriately for HER shape. Though fire didnt leap naturally ovrthe armou, to come into contact with it was to suffer as though stood in a jet of flame. She weilded Thane's blade one handed to burn that which she coudl reach, while her off hand grabbed for anything that passed on her far side.

Chances were she woudl not kill them all... but most. Most. For teh rest... when she was done with the entire facility, there would be little left to eat or feed on. All the lower levels were practically empty. IF the creatures could get into the rooms one level down, they had about 100 corpses tops. She woudl simply make sure to seal the place when she left.*

Tao nam tvem tao yidijqiy, yand.

*Celestian fell from her lisp easy enough, revitalising her even as she consigned the dead to their grave. Celestian was Také's native language. That she could recall it without him....

Hope. She turned and walked back to where she had left Iden, touching her serpents briefly as the enchantment wore off ehr armour, then she knelt at Iden;s side and lifted his head to her lap, stroking his brow. With everything thus far dead or fleeing, she took the time to check him once more, looking for what few vital signs Cainite;s possesed, fearing that she;d find his condition, comatose as it was was worsening. She could only guess at the depths of what had been done to him, knowing the iso chamber couldnt have done ALL of this. Hope. There had to be hope, or she'd let them BOTH die, bringing Pingfang down around her.*

Iden.

*Stable but not aware was still hope. Satisfied the younger cainite was not falling into torpor or worse through mental trauma he faced alone within his own head, she again picked him up and headed upwards.

All the signs informed her the next level was 'research' of some sort, but someone had unhelpfully scored out WHAT the level researched specifically.
A minor inconveniance. It didnt MATTER in the end. Everything burns, everything dies. No mercy, only justice. Only an end to those who had sinned. Sinned against her own.

The level was quiet. Deceptively so. The metal door was already open, and it seemed as uninhabitted as the level below had been, but without the lines of gore. But as with the floor below, she sensed things on this level. A lot more life, though the helm prevented her working out exactly how many heartbeats. Aggravating, but she'd cope as she always had.


Then, her plans were slightly put out as she went to place Iden safely to one side once again. Instead, she found herself freezing in place as something metallic very very gently grazed the back of the helm she bore, and stopped dead centre at the back of her skull*

My name is Douglas Jacobson and this here is my level. Howdy. Now, may I suggest you listen very carefully because Im only going to say this to ya once, and then we'll see how things work out.
Now you're going to have to excuse me prattling about my craft, but what you feel pressed against the back of your head is like as not a gun you aint come across before. This is a Neostead shotgun. Well, nominally so. Ive modified it a bit, but the important stuff is still there. Like the dual magazines this baby carries. Two types of ammo, you with me? Now, I heard all about you, so I'll let you guess what I got in here.
Truth of the matter is, Im only going to get one shot off if you so much as move, but I want you to consider I just got behind you without you sensing me at all, and even if I miss, that little bundle you got in your arms could easily get hurt. One shot might just be all I need. Specially as I got people all over this level, all armed, all kitted out for Dire Bear and gunning for you and the sleeping prince there.
Now, I want you to walk forward slowly until I tell ya to stop. No tricks, no freaky s**t, maybe we all get out of this alive. If not... people are gonna die and I'll make damn sure you or your boy there are among them. Are we on the same page?

You are an American.

Sure am. What of it?

I believe I know your stock. Shall we move forwards, Mr Jacobson?

*She made no sudden movements. She calmly walked forwards as told, noting the Yank kept perfect pace with her, and yet his footfalls were almost silent, even to her senses.
As they moved, she noted men and women, scientists and security both, all armed in the corridors, behind bodyshop benches and all over the place, aiming at her with a variety of weapons, some recognisable, some not. Most looked nervy of the weapons they held, as if many had not fired the higher caliber guns they were focusing on her.
She also noted some of the tools laying around and smirked. Little did most of them know the welding torch would do more damage to her than the sniper rifles she noted in some hands. Yet, Iden was her concern. She wouldnt allow him to be harmed and so complied. For now.*

Take a seat, why dont you. Nice and easy now.

You do realise of course a shotgun isnt your best bet against this damnable helm?

Told ya already, this thing is modified and I dont rightly give a crap, cos taking out your spinal column will do just as well. Siddown, if you would.

As you wish.

*Obeying, Roan slid slowly into a seat before the large metal table on which usually many components and parts lay, but it was now empty save for the elbows and forearms of four others who held weapons trained on her. Gently, she curled Iden to her chest and watched them all with her lone visible eye, still as the grave. Douglas then circled her and sat opposite, the gun trained at her heart now, as he looked up at her and the only feature of her face visible.*

Now, what happens next is where complication comes in. If this comes down to a fire fight, a whole lotta people are gonna die and I'd rather avoid trying to wade out of here over a s**t ton of dead bodies with half me own ripped to bits. Unlike most of the rest of the smartasses around here, I dont doubt a monster like you is trouble coming AND going. On the other hand, you aint got much reason to try and leave peaceful like, especially as we cant contact the other floors and the idiots between you and freedom are gonna try and kill you or anyone else heading up that way.

It sounds like you have a problem then Mr Jacobson.

Very non-commital, but YOU have a problem too. If theres one floor in this hellhole you should be worried about, its this one. Every weapon in the place is designed to kill monstrosities. Including something like you.

Like me, Mr Jacobson? And what am I?

Filth. Unnatural. Like everything else my guns kill. You can drop the polite act, long and the short of it is, you either do as I want or people are gonna die, including you.

You wish an alliance. You want to chain me up and lead me upstairs, using me as both ally and weapon to ensure you and your team get out alive. You would have me go in front and soak up whatever attacks us, and threaten the other level's heads with unleashing me if they did not let us all pass. You would seal each floor after us and leave them to die. To make sure I comply, you intend to take my son from me and bring up the rear, with a gun to his head. An alliance, born of blackmail and backstabbing.

How... how do you know that?

.: Because you did not ask those oh so smart scientists for all their information on my kind. You met my gaze, human, and let me into your head. I can see your thoughts. ALL of them. Up to and including the fact that as SOON as we hit the surface, you would kill my son, and me after. No, no, dont even TRY and squeeze the trigger. You've already killed every single person here. In another time and place, you may have been a boon to me. You hate what I am, and you also hate those around you. Anything that isnt human. A strong mind, and will. You could have grown in the right environment to be a true slayer, but instead you have compromised yourself by accepting the very beasts you work for as a necessary evil. You have sinned, Douglas Jacobson. And I am your reaper. :.

*Calmly folding her hands over Iden's eyes, as if he were awake, she never broke her gaze from Douglas, never blinked. The next few moments seemed to pass in slow motion. Jacobson raised the aim of his gun from her chest up further until his arms slid from the table, the shortened gun pointed at his own head. His colleagues reacted too slowly, turning and moving only after the gun was already aimed, reaching him seconds AFTER he had pulled the trigger.
For her part Roan merely whistled lowly as she looked at the corpse, now MISSING a head completely. He hadnt been lying about whatever had been loaded into the shotgun.

Chaos began to erupt. Roan grinned, wrapped her tail around Iden and stood, placing both hands on the table. One mighty shove sent it over, her body whipping around to cast her left hand forwards, a wave of concussive energy washing out from her to throw all the tool on the bench behidn her into the group of men firing at her, scalpels, screw drivers, drills and more embedding themselves into the group as she ducked down behdin the cover of the heavy metal table, calling the metal to slide off Thane;s armour and lash out at the men that came running up from behind, back where she had entered the level.*

Demons feed, angels die...

*Blood from the dead and woudned flowed towards her, furious and broiling as it moved with speed to fuel the assault to come. Over 100 people still stood on the far side of the table. She knew she didnt have enough power right now to deal with them easily, the helm was restricting her, and trying to shoot down each alone would involve taking far too much damage. Already the table was being peppered with shots. Thank the gods not all of these people were experianced. Around her, she noted the miscellaneous tools and trappings of the work that went on here, and an idea started to form.
The idea was Iden's, she was sure. Looking at him, it solidfied in her mind as one hand reached out and risked a shot to snatch the only C4 she could see, while some of the razor wire she was controlling dragged in a roll of duct tape. Sadly, the amount of C4 she found herself with was tiny, but it would do.
Next to her left leg, a metal container lay on its side, open with the latch free. She could only assume it had either held some important set of tools, or some of the ammo that was now scattered around her like marbles, just waiting to trip her up if she tried to run for it. That wouldnt do. The idea was getting clearer, as if someone else was pilotting her body to do what needed to be done.
She sent the razor wire over the top of her cover to keep the men across from her busy, and heads down, before some smart a** realised the larger sniper rifles laying around would punch straight THROUGH the table and into her if they tried it. While they were quiet, she started whistling quietly to herself as she filled the smallish box with what ammo she could get her hands on, trusting Jacobson enough that most of this stuff would likely go boom. Monsters didnt last against fire, known fact. And she'd already found incendiary grenades as standard around the facility. Speaking of which...
She scanned across the area open to her, sending wires out to prob at the security she'd already killed. Yep... they had them too, though the marking implied they werent incendiary.. She stole what she could and added them to the box of nasty she was preparing. A couple of boxes of screws left laying about were also of use, filling in the gaps as she buried the C4 she'd found in the centre of the box, then topped it off with more ammo and a discarded metal tin of what appeared to be gunpowder.

It was at this point the first grenade invaded her personal space. Again, she thanked whatever being was watching over her - the idiot throwing it had literally pulled pin and tossed it. Barbed wire snatched it back up and returned it to sender swiftly, a saftisfying scream following a second or two later as it went off.
This only made her wish to work faster though, depositing Iden next to her so her prehensile tail could help to grab tools from the dead bodies and hold them against the now locked box as she duct taped anything and everything to it with short strips of the sticky tape, though the dimensions of the box limited her to how muich she could fit on it.
Five minutes more work had her holding a small metal box of extreme unpleasantness, as the fey mood fell away from her. She blinked at it, half wondering just WHO had given her the idea, one she wouldnt have normally used herself, then she shrugged. Another grenade sailed over her cover, which she returned in the nick of time. She then used the seconds confusion following the blast to finish the deed. Standing, she lifted Iden in her tail, tossed the box as hard as she coudl towards some tanks at the back of the large area, then LEGGED it, burning what celerity she could to duck behind the walls two corridors down, hand slamming down on the C4 detonater as she skidded across the floor and curled her body over Iden's prone one and braced.


The explosion rocked the entire level. If anyone came to investigate the ruins in the future, there would be no logical explanation for the carnage, no way to tell how many people had died to create the smears and gory mess that painted the walls rather effectively in uniform red, bits of metal and shrapnel stuck into the enduring surfaces providing a myriad of reflective surfaces, turning the level into a sprakling grotto of death, doom and destruction.

No one survived. Thane's armour protected Roan's back form the debris that reached even her, and not a piece touched Iden. Standing calmly, she cracked her neck, and headed back to the stairs. The next floor was awaiting her. Everythign dies, everythign burns. The Reaper was not yet done.*

*Iden stirred, moved of his own accord in her grip and the RELIEF that flooded her was intense. She did not wish him to wake in this hellhole, and was glad when he slept on, but she DID now equate it with sleep, and not just a strange and unlivable torpor.
She'd had enough of this place. She and Iden both. The helm was removed and at LAST she could THINK again.
Already, her mind was reaching for her domain, what was hers, her Daemon, her sons, her clan, her life, her PLACE.... she could feel none. She forced her mind to stay calmly infuriated, and not paniced, reasoning that the entire building was shielded and despite reclaiming her godhead, she was tired and worn and stressed and thus not at her best. Panicing wouldnt get her and her ward through the last four levels to the surface. She could feel the surface, not too far above now. Reachable. That was her only goal now.

Power continued to flow into her limbs, turning them warm and REAL again... or real as she was used to at any rate. Though much of what she craved and her Daemon was gone, she still had access to a LOT of her former power. Including Void. Azazel awoke from the back of her mind and it was HUNGRY. A wicked leer covered her face as she braced, and let the entities come fully awake, the rush of it throwing her head back, barbed tendrils shooting up around her as she felt out what she could, and could not do.
And she coudl do a lot.

She headed for the stairs, Carrying Iden cradled in her now 10 meter long tail. Some traits she was USED to stealing seemed to still be available to her and she didnt question it as she went to the stairs and upwards, promising her demons a good feed soon enough. After all, the next level was where the NGF and psychological training went on, and she had a BONE to pick with Rita. One for herself, one for Jan, and one for Iden. The REST of the waomsn bones she'd break just for fun.
As she chose the stairs, Roan found herself in the back of the level where the newly 'programmed' soldiers tested out their skills and abilities to obey. This was marhinally bad, as the room turned out to be full of the newer breed regenerators and the heavy door between this side of the level and the scientists in the other half was locked down and barred, the stairwell door swiftly following suit as she passed through it, denying her an exit, and also keeping the manipulated beasts against her pinned in WITH her.

It SHOULD have been a bad situation for her. She should have been worried, scared, hell, she SHOULD have been obliterated. Instead... she laughed. Laughed as the scientists silently gasped behind the solid clear wall when they saw the helm was gone, laughed harder as the beasts charged her, and harder still as they got within 2 foot only to bleed and bleed and bleed, then back off in confusion.... regenerating their limbs, faces, skin, muscle.*

This does not end well for you...

Time and space flickered around her, Void stole many who got too close and in and of herself... she didnt remember those last four levels. She knew only that she felt wind on her face, moonlight lighting her way as she emerged from the elevator shaft, and knew she had NOT found Hellbane. He was still out there, somewhere. As were the others she wished dead.

But Pingfang had become a tomb. Filled with the unwanted, and welded the doors shut behind her as she moved into the copse of trees, then out into the fields, to stare at the real world, and wonder if it were real. Her hands tightened on her son, and she wept quiet tears of blood for what had been endured... and the emptyness of vengeance*

*A further stirring from Iden. She didnt have time to feel regret or despair. He was all that mattered, be this dream, nightmare or reality. She dropped to his side and curled her body against his, pulling his head into her lap as she stroked his brow, wanting him to finally wake, to speak, SOMEthing more, ANYthing more than the sparse reactions since she'd 'rescued' him, hours before*

It's ok, Im here. Im here.

*Gentle touched down his side reassured her, and she hugged him to her, moving heat from her own body into his, before realising he was likely half starved and wouldnt be able to generate ANY heat of his own, especially out here.
Her wings were gone from her, her anger waned, and Také not with her. This did not bode well for an easy trip home, but move they must. She could shadowstep short distances, she was sure, and there was a town nearby.
Five minutes later, she had Iden in front of a fire, laying a thick fur rug over him as she decanted blood from the home's now dead occupants into a shallow bowl, which she intended to try to get him to drink from as she stayed close to his side, enjoying the warmth herself*

*She had forever. She didnt rush, or rush him, she simply took her time allowing him to drink at his own speed, and woudl continue until he refused to drink anymore. Her off hand gently stroked his brow as she murmured to him, so that if he roused further, he woudl know who sat with him, and that he was safe. Or at least... out of that horrific place and with someone who loved him, not another scientist.

it pained her to see him like this, but he couldnt really feel the emotion. All she COULD feel was how much she loved him and what he meant to her, and thus all the patience in the world was hers to go towards bringing him to*